Weight loss in midlife can feel like a constant battle. With the scale doing most of the winning.
Hormonal imbalances that begin in perimenopause are often to blame and they can continue long into your post-menopausal years.
Have you ever said any of the following?
- I’m doing everything “right”, but I still can’t lose the weight.
- I’m just getting old and my metabolism is slow. It’s genetic. There’s nothing I can do about my hormones and weight loss.
- Isn’t there a pill that can just fix this fast?
- I’ve tried everything to lose weight. I guess I’ll just be fat forever.
- Screw it. I give up.
These are comments that I hear frequently from my clients and the ladies in the Hormone Harmony Club, and most of them don’t know an important secret. The reason you’re weight gain is happening is that your hormones are out of whack.
Last week, we talked about cortisol and the mess it makes when it comes to weight loss. This week, let’s look at estrogen.
Estrogen is the female hormone that gives women breasts and hips, and it keeps joints lubricated. Often in perimenopause and menopause there’s an overload of estrogen. This happens because of dropping progesterone levels AND because we’re constantly exposed to chemicals and toxins that act like estrogen in our bodies. You can read more about that here.
When that imbalance happens, the pounds pile on. Other symptoms of estrogen dominance include water retention, fatigue, mood swings, slow metabolism, PMS and heavy periods to name a few!
How to Get Estrogen Back in Line
Lifestyle changes can help lower your estrogen levels and help you lose weight. Step 1: eat a pound of vegetables per day (for real). The fiber from the vegetables will help your body excrete estrogen (you poop it out) so it doesn’t keep circulating in your body. Aim for 35-45 grams of fiber per day, but slowly increase in 5-gram increments to get to the goal without gas or bloating.
Another tip is to avoid alcohol. I know many of us are managing perimenopause with wine, but the truth is, that just makes things worse. Alcohol stimulates estrogen production AND it is a super-refined source of energy for your body. That means that your body uses it first as fuel…and everything you eat that your body DOESN’T need for energy gets stored as fat.
And fat cells make estrogen.
Starting to get the picture? It’s a vicious cycle.
These are just 2 tips to get you started. A complete discussion of estrogen dominance would require many blog posts so make sure you type in ‘estrogen’ in the search bar of main blog page to find all of my past articles related to estrogen in perimenopause and menopause!
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About Dr. Anna
Dr. Anna Garrett is a pharmacist and menopause expert who helps women who are struggling with symptoms of perimenopause and menopause find natural hormone balancing solutions so they can rock their mojo through midlife and beyond. But her clients would tell you that her real gift is helping them reclaim pieces of themselves they thought were gone forever.
Dr. Anna offers a complimentary 30-minute Get Acquainted Call to anyone who’d like to learn more about working 1-1 with her. You can schedule that at your convenience by clicking here.
Please email info@drannagarrett.com for more info.
